I'm the Director of Sportsimpacts and an Economics Professor at the George Herbert Walker School of Business at Webster University in St Louis, MO.
I've conducted research at Super Bowls, Final Fours, All-Star Games, Ryder Cups, and numerous Division I NCAA Championship events.
www.sportsimpacts.net
www.webster.edu/business/depts/

Peyton Manning, Papa John's and Marijuana: A Rocky Mountain High

I knew Peyton Manning was smart, but I didn’t realize he was this smart.

In late October, Mr. Manning became the newest franchisee for Papa John’s pizza, signing a deal to own 21 stores in the Denver area. On the same day, the pizza maker also announced it had signed a multi-year contract to continue as the official pizza of the NFL and the Super Bowl.

Not more than 2 weeks after Mr. Manning’s investment was made public, Colorado voters on election night approved an amendment legalizing recreational marijuana use within the state.

Apart from euphorically setting off a statewide revival of John Denver’s classic hit Rocky Mountain High from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, Mr. Manning and Papa John’s had to be pleased with this vote.

I’m not nor have I ever been a user (which I guess makes me both a square and in the minority), so for those that are similarly naive I’ll break it down like this.

Only time will tell if Papa John’s pizza sales will increase within the state of Colorado in the foreseeable future, but human behavioral correlations between marijuana consumption and subsequent dietary preferences while under a purple haze seem to suggest that Mr. Manning’s investment was timely and prudent.

I knew Peyton Manning was the ultimate chess player on the gridiron…being able to read the defense and anticipate player movements well before they happen.

But his genius ascends to new Rocky Mountain Highs if his expectations of how Colorado would vote on marijuana legalization had any influence on his investment decision in Papa John’s.

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